The Utah Transit Authority system which coordinates connections and transfers between light rail trains and buses was developed at a cost of $305,000.
Made Public Date
03/28/2005
Identifier
2005-SC00090
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Summary Information

In 2002, the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) in Salt Lake City implemented the Connection Protection system to better coordinate passenger transfers between the TRAX light rail trains and buses at 20 rail stations between the University of Utah and the city of Sandy. The Connection Protection system was implemented to reduce the chances of missed connections, reduce some of the uncertainty with connecting from a more frequent service (TRAX) to a less frequent service (UTA bus), and improve overall customer travel experience. The system was also designed to assist bus operators, radio controllers, and customer service personnel with improving customer satisfaction. The Connection Protection system was deployed as part of a larger Bus/Rail Integration project. Connection Protection makes use of data from other systems (real-time GPS train location data and bus schedule data) and calculates how long a bus should wait for a train before bus schedules are seriously impacted. The software accounts for the frequency and the market type of bus services provided at each station, time of day, and balances wait times to optimize customer satisfaction. When predetermined criteria are met, the Connection Protection system automatically issues a HOLD message to the bus on the impacted trip. The HOLD message is displayed to the driver via a mobile data terminal (MDT). The MDTs were deployed on UTA buses and TRAX light rail trains as part of the Bus/Rail Integration project.

Connection Protection software, which integrates existing systems and data, cost $305,000. The software was developed by an outside company under contract to UTA. The cost includes software development and documentation.

System Cost

Connection Protection software: $305,000.